Aesop wrote about these mammals. In his instructive fable, bats in ancient times could not take either side. The war was then fought between animals and birds, everyone wanted to prove their superiority. However, after the truce was restored between the feathered and mammalian bats, it was decided to expel the animals from the kingdom, and they were forbidden to appear when the sun was shining. But already in those days people were interested in the question, not only where did these animals come from, but why do bats sleep head down?
Origin of the species
Bats are believed to have existed on Earth for more than 60 million years. Even now, these animals number about 10 billion. In terms of numbers, they are second only to rodents.
Some bats feed exclusively on pollen of flowers, others on midges, others on fruit, and fourth on seeds. By the way, one individual can eat about 1 thousand midges in just 1 hour. Some species are generally unique, they attack frogs and birds, even their relatives. But there is the only feature that unites all representatives of the species and worries scientists - why do bats sleep upside down and do not fall?
Is it so comfortable to relax?
Mammals of this species have a unique structure of wings and legs. While the animal is hanging, its tendons are tightly compressed, respectively, and its legs are tightly compressed, so it is impossible to fall.
Why do bats sleep upside down? For a simple reason: the structure of the wings of the animal is such that they completely wrap it from head to toe. The structure of the wing resembles a dense material. Therefore, a bat is easier to take off if it previously falls down. When the necessary space appears, the animal spreads its wings and flies. For the same reason, the animal does not know how to fly from the ground.
The second reason bats sleep upside down and upside down is the animal’s inability to move and stand on the ground. It is in this position that the bat can completely relax. By the way, at such moments, the mammal practically falls into a stupor. At the moment of sleep, they save their energy as much as possible, breathing and heartbeat slow down. Moreover, as soon as the animal manages to cling to the branches with its paws, it immediately falls into a stupor.
Another reason is the very light and hollow bones that became so in the process of evolution, that is, the body is fully adapted to the unusual position of the body. In the event of a fall, the animal will, by hook or by crook, try to cling to a branch or trunk of a tree in order to go up and take its usual position - upside down.
What else interesting can mice do?
Mice (bats) sleep upside down. Why this happens seems to be clear, but these animals are unique in other characteristics. First of all, these are the only mammals on the entire planet that have wings, and also know how to fly.
These animals have excellent echolocation skills. Simply put, they do not need excellent vision, they just emit an ultrasonic signal that reflects from the surfaces of surrounding objects and allows you to navigate in space, hide from predators and detect prey. For the same reason, bats have very low vision.
In addition, during the hunt, the sound image from ultrasonic signals is instantly processed by the brain, and the animal can instantly change the direction of movement. The flight speed of the mouse reaches 30 kilometers per hour.
Myths about bats
There are many versions of the peoples of the world why animals sleep upside down. In Madagascar, there is a tale that when a fire broke out in the Kingdom of Heaven, God sent all the birds to extinguish it. Only one bat managed to bring down the flame, but only at the cost of its feathers. However, Drongo was the first to get to God, in all likelihood the crested Drongo, who had previously smeared himself with ash and said that it was he who managed the fire. God proclaimed the most important bird. Upon arrival of the bat, no one believed in the story of the animal. Then the mouse said that she would always show God her ass.
Lipans-Apaches (Texas Indians) interpret in their own way why mice (bats) sleep upside down. There is a legend: when Coyote decided to choose his wife, the Bat offered the most incredible options. But most of all, Coyote liked the idea of taking the wife of the Chief Hawk, who had not been at home for a long time, he did so. When the Main Hawk returned and saw what advice the Bat gave, he immediately threw it into the juniper bushes. The mouse there snagged with its moccasins and hung upside down, unable to break free to this day.
In any case, for bats, the upside down position is a state of complete readiness for flight in any emergency.